Chinese Tuxedo Restaurant Review

:About the restaurant and décor: During the day, an unlit sign and shuttered storefront give no hint to the dramatic two-story space inside Chinese Tuxedo. Come nightfall, however, the neon sign TUXEDO shines above the glass window in the curve known as Doyers Street, an iconic Chinatown alley, infamous as the location of Chinese gang wars in the early 1900s. The 120-seat restaurant elevates Chinatown’s dining options with a gorgeous setting in a building that was once a Chinese opera house and is now just as theatrical with romantic lighting, tropical plants and a movie-set vibe.

Likes: High ceilings and unfinished walls give Chinese Tuxedo a pleasing vintage trendiness.Dislikes: No reservations for parties of three, and parties of two are booked only in the early hours.

Food & Drinks: The menu blends familiar Chinatown dishes with ones found more typically in Singapore and Hong Kong and has deep roots in Sydney’s Chinatown where owner Eddy Buckingham and chef Paul Donnelly met. Cantonese cuisine items like char siu mix with Sichuan creations such as spicy, crispy eggplant in caramel. Seafood is a highlight, with bigeye tuna with a “strange flavor” dressing, or raw Spanish mackerel with soy brown butter and black bean oil offering a complexity of tastes and textures. Most plates are designed for sharing and range in size from “snacks” and “small plates” like pan-fried Tuxedo dumplings, squid ink noodles or hot and sour steak tartare laced with chili, to larger dishes and salads such as the roasted duck salad with lychees, a don’t-miss fusion of ingredients and Asian influences. Finish your meal with a light yogurt ice cream with fruit. Cocktails are low-ABV, such as the Shanghai Mule made with michiu and the saké-based Sino Tonic, both flavorful but not intoxicating. Two dry sakés are offered as well as a selection of wines from around the world.